


The Okport Narrows

by Maz_Cat



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, Furry, Love Triangles, M/M, Original Fiction, Poverty, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:49:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24723313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maz_Cat/pseuds/Maz_Cat
Summary: Sarah is a 25-year-old gray fox with dwarfism and ADHD living just above the poverty line and is trying to win the affections of her childhood friend while putting up with her crappy job and a less than stellar part of town.
Relationships: Original Character(s)/Original Character(s)





	The Okport Narrows

**Author's Note:**

> I'm open to constructive criticism and suggestions for the story. If you have an idea for the story, let me know and I'll consider it.

It’s Monday June 1st, 2020 5:00 am in the southern part of Okport. A phone alarm goes off in a cramped and messy apartment living room and is dismissed by a gray fox, she’s groggy and gets ready for work. Her routine is bathroom, breakfast which is chipped beef on toast this morning. She eats it, gets dressed in a fast food uniform with a name tag that says “Sarah”, and goes out the door. The hallway is a mess; The walls are a gaudy color with stains and tears, graffiti decorates the walls, trash is littered on the floor, strips of the floor are missing, and it reeks of vomit and urine. She goes to the elevator has yellow tape around the doors and a big white sign that says "Out of Order", so she takes the stairs. Her short legs make the stairs difficult to travel, but she has to go to work to get paid. She eventually reaches the first floor and the lobby is just as rundown as the second floor. The receptionist doesn’t respond to her even though she said, “Good morning.”. She goes to her bike, which is child-sized, near the parking lot. She takes out her key and unlocks the bike from its chain. She turns on the flashlight that she duct taped onto the front and bikes to work. It takes her about fifteen minutes to get there, when she arrives, she sees a neon “HERO” sign on the building with the E light off and the O looking like it’s about to fall off. 

It’s 6:00 am now, time to open the restaurant. Sarah digs out the key to the door, unlocks it, and goes inside. She’s the first one in and prepares for another tedious day. She turns on the lights, gets a step stool, and waits for the first customer as she waits behind the counter ready to take orders. Not long after, the cook, arrives who is a teenage black bear dropout. “Sup, midget.” He says, “Shouldn’t you be in school?” she retorts. About an hour later, the first customer of the day walks in. He asks for a grilled cheese sandwich with American cheese. The order is ready in a few minutes and the man sits in a booth away from the counter and loudly requests ketchup. “Sir.” Sarah says, “The ketchup is right there not far from you, why can’t you grab it yourself?” the man requests ketchup again and Sarah reluctantly gets it for him. She has to take her step stool to reach the ketchup and even then, she has a bit of trouble. When she hands him the ketchup he giggles “What’s so funny?” she asks, “You’re so short!” he exclaims. She stares daggers at him wanting to go off about her height and struggles but chooses not to because she needs this job. He eats his sandwich peacefully while Sarah quietly seethes about how the rest of her day is going to be. Just as he’s about to leave, the janitor comes in, a jaguar with a degree in Women’s Studies. Sarah greets her with a "Good morning." but she ignores Sarah and starts cleaning. The next customer is a cat who is notorious for complicated orders. “I’d like a grilled chicken sandwich but instead of the ranch can I get cheese and instead of the bun can I have fried chicken and instead of…” “So, you want a custom order?” “…Yes…” “Why didn’t you just say that then?” He repeats his order with extras and is charged for a custom sandwich, the most expensive one. Sarah gets off her stool and hands the cook the order, he asks her to leave it on the counter “I can barely reach it why don’t you just take it from my hand?” she reaches up to him “Just leave the damn thing, I’m busy.” She signs in frustration, gets her stool, and leaves the order on the counter. The cat gets his order after a few minutes, sits down, unwraps the sandwich, and gasps loudly. He stomps to the front and yells at Sarah “I asked for ketchup and you gave me mayonnaise!” “Sir, I just take orders I don’t make the sandwiches.” “You screwed it up on purpose!” “Sir, I have a copy of the order right here.” She hands it to him “It has everything you asked for.” “You told the chef something else, I know it!” “Sir, I don’t tell the cook anything, I give him the order and he makes it.” The customer goes on a tangent about how everyone who works in fast food is an idiot and swears to never buy from Hero again as he stomps out the door, he does this every other week when his order is wrong. The next customer is a bull infamous for throwing tantrums at the slightest thing. He ask for a coke “No sir, we don’t serve coke can I get you a Pepsi instead?” “Do you have updog?” she sighs knowing what’s coming “what’s updog?” “Not much and no, Pepsi is not okay.” “Sir, above my head is the menu and on the right are the drinks, you can either order what’s on there or order someplace else.” “No! I came all this way for a coke, and I want it!” “Sir, I can’t get the drink you want if we don’t have it.” “Then get it!” “You want me to go to the store and buy you a drink?” “Yes!” “I can’t do that.” “Why not!?” “First of all, I’m on the clock, I can’t go anywhere unless it’s either my lunch break or a supply run, secondly I’m the only cashier here right now if I leave customers won’t be served, we’ll lose money, and I’ll be out of the job because of it. “I’m the customer, I’m always right!” “Not if it violates common sense.” “Where’s your manager, I want to speak to him!” “He doesn’t come in until later, if at all.” “When I talk to him, your ass is grass!” “Have a nice day.” Sarah says to him as he slams the door. It’s almost noon and a female cheetah customer arrives just before Sarah has her thirty-minute lunch break. “Do you have anything that’s sugar free?” “No.” “Do you have anything carb free?” “No.” “How about fat free?” “No.” “What do you have!?” “Water.” “I’m on a diet, you have nothing healthy?” “If you wanted healthy, you shouldn’t have come to a place like this restaurant.” “Ugh!” she says as she walks off in a huff. The second cashier, a deer, finally arrives even though he’s three hours late and reeks of whisky. “Yeah, I know I’m late.” “I didn’t say anything.” Says Sarah “Eh shut up.”. 

Sarah takes her break by biking to Tonstore, where her childhood friend and crush work. It takes about five minutes to get there and she locks her bike around a chain and pole. She walks inside and sees a disgruntled greeter not doing his job. She greets him and he says “Yeah, whatever.” Sarah rolls her eyes and looks for Andrew. She asks around and is pointed to the employee’s lounge, sure enough a tall black cat is there. “Andrew.” Says Sarah “Oh. Hi Sarah.” he says, “Still depressed and anxious?” “The doctor replaced my medication; he said that they would help with my Asperger Syndrome.” “How long have you been on it?” “A fortnight.” “That’s two weeks, right?” “Yes.” “Do you still talk like that to everyone?” “I’m trying to control my vocabulary to simplify my words so that other people can understand. No, I talk like that only to my friends and family.” “Which am I?” “You’re my friend.” “So that’s all I am, I’m not close enough to be family?” “The implications of that sentence were not my intention.” “Relax, I’m screwing with you.” “Ah, sarcasm. Damn it.” “So, how have you been?” “The manager appeared impressed that I was able to memorize the layout of this hypermarket in about a week, more than a few customers have been exceedingly rude and demanding, and I have about five more hours left in my work time.” “I’m sorry you have to deal with that, I’ve had rude customers all day too.” “Were the customers the cat and the bull?” “Yeah, they come to the joint, make crazy orders, and throw a fit when we don’t deliver one way or another.” “If your choice of employment is that undesirable, why do you continue to work at that establishment?” “Because I need a job and no will hire me for a normal one.” “Normal?” “People want me as an attraction. Circuses, bars, hell even the freak show tried to get me.” “It saddens me that society only sees our disabilities and not who we are or what we can become.” “Me too, buddy.” “I have another question; if your living conditions are barely tolerable, like you told me the other day, why don’t you move back in with your mother?” “She thinks I’m doing better than I actually am and still thinks I work at Apricot, making $14 an hour.” “What is your wage now?” “$5 an hour.” “That’s barely the minimum wage.” “Yeah, I know.” Andrew pulls his wallet out of his back pocket and opens it. “Don’t!” Sarah says, “I won’t accept pity money.” “It’s not ‘pity money’ you’re my friend and I don’t want to see you suffer.” “If I need money, I’ll ask.” “You’re too proud and determined to accept help of any kind, but I have a bit of money if you ever need it.” “Trust me, I won’t.” Andrew sighs, closes his wallet, and puts it back in his back pocket. “Besides, you only make a dollar more than me.” “Numbers add up, a little can mean a lot.” “So you’ve said.” “I need to get back to work, my lunch break is almost over.” “Mine too, see you Andrew.” “Yes, I’ll be seeing you.” Both of them part ways and Sarah is blushing think about Andrew.

She rides back to Hero and locks her bike. The bull from earlier is back, still angry, and waiting for the manager. “There you are! Did you get my drink?” “That was hours ago, and I already said no.” “I want a coke!” he slams his fists on the counter.” “Sir, if you can’t control your temper, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” “Not until I see your manager!” “Sir it’s past noon, he’s probably not coming in.” as if on cue, the manager, a dog, enters the shop. “What’s the problem?” he asks, “Your little ‘employee’ won’t get me a coke!” “Sarah, get him a coke!” “We don’t serve cokes, we have Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper, Sprite, and Fanta.” “Then go to the store and get him a coke!” “Sir-.“ “Do it or you’re fired!” “…Okay.” Sarah reluctantly goes to her bike as the bull stands tall and smug. She goes back to Tonstore, grabs a bottle of coke, and rushes back to Hero. “What took you so long!?” shouts the bull “I’m so sorry sir.” Says the manager. The bull takes his coke and leaves. “Why didn’t you take his order!? We could’ve lost a customer!” “Sir, I couldn’t just leave the cash register unmanned, someone could’ve taken money.” “I don’t care! The customer is always right, and you needs to learn to take orders!” “Sir-!” “Get back to work!” Sarah gets back on her step stool and waits for customers. The next customer is a male fox who looks way too rich to be on this side of town. He’s on his phone and walks up to the counter. Sarah asks, “Can I-.” He puts his phone to his chest, extends his arm while pointing up, and says “Shh!” Sarah waits impatiently for a few minutes before finally speaking up. “Sir, if you’re not going to order anything, I need you to step away from the counter.” He finally ends his call and orders a turkey sandwich. Most of the customers go to the deer who’s been having much better luck with them than Sarah and the manager leaves not long after the fox. It’s almost 6:00 pm and Sarah serves one more customer before leaving for the rest of the day. It’s a rabbit who’s a regular at this Hero. He takes a good look at the menu and says “Hey! The price for the Roast Beef is different!” “Yes, we added 5₵ to it.” “No one told me! I want the better price!” “Why? It’s just five cents.” “But I’m a regular!” “So you deserve special treatment because you eat here often?” “Yes!” “No.” “Fine! But you just lost a valuable customer!” “Any other fast food will tell you the same thing.” He walks out before Sarah can get the last word in.

Sarah leaves work emotionally and mentally exhausted from dealing with abusive customers all day. She rides her back to her apartment, locks it up, and enters the lobby. The receptionist is asleep, and the elevator still isn’t working so she takes the stairs again. When she reaches the second floor, she sees a mouse named David not so subtly flirting with Andrew. Sarah is racked with jealousy but takes a deep breath and calms herself down before she says or does something she’ll regret. She approaches David and Andrew “Hey, guys!” “Hi Sarah!” says David “How was work?” asks Sarah “SOS.” He says “Yeah, I hear you.” “You doing anything special tonight?” “Nah, it’s the workweek.” “Ah come on…” “I told you I can’t.” “Alright. Door’s open if you change your mind.” David goes back to his room #4 “He’s quite the interesting character, wouldn’t you say?” asks Andrew “Yeah…” “After a long hard day I could use some rest. You should get some too.” “Yeah…See you later…” says Sarah unsure about her future with Andrew. She goes to #2 and unlocks the door. “Home crap home.” She says to herself as she changes out of her work clothes and into something more comfortable, a torn tank top and sweatpants with small holes in them. She takes a shower, serves herself split pea soup for supper, and crashes on the couch. She doesn’t have a lot of choices in channels on her analog TV just news, movies, and education she chooses movies. They’re showing Kanikaa MacSeoin: Assault on the Astray Sanctuary the first film in a series of adventure movies. She tunes out for a while and set her alarm on her phone so she can go to bed at a decent time. It’s 8:00 pm and the alarm on the phone sounds so she turns off the TV, fixes her couch into a makeshift bed with a cheap pillow and old blanket, and lays her head down for a rest. As she dozes off, she wonders what tomorrow will bring and if it’ll be better.


End file.
